Charred Broccoli and Pesto Pasta Recipe

Sometimes I get really bored of salads and want some other kind of veggies. I was talking to my girl friend on the phone while walking through Ralph’s whining about how I needed to switch my greens up. As I was perusing the produce section, I noticed that the broccoli was on sale. “Broccoli is on sale for 99 cents,” I tell my friend.

“Ooh!” she exclaims. “Make some charred broccoli!”

“Huh? How do you do that?”

She described how she just threw it in the oven on high heat and that it was super simple to make. She told me how the tops get really crunchy and how delicious the almost burnt pieces tasted. I said, “Why not?” and threw some broccoli into my basket.

I went home, cut up the pieces, tossed them in some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), garlic salt and popped them into the oven. Several minutes later, I took them out, and DAMN– they were delicious! The charred parts added this smokey flavor that I immediately fell in love with. It did need some acidity, so I scrounged through my fridge and found a lime. I squeezed the juice on top of my broccoli and WOW– perfection! I was obsessed. This was my new favorite side dish!

Broccoli packs 11.2 grams of protein per 100 calories so this is a total winner for vegans and vegetarians! For a little easier math, 1 cup of broccoli has 31 calories and 4.2 grams of protein. I ended up chomping down on 2 cups of my charred broccoli giving me 8.4 grams of protein for lunch, keeping my energy levels up for the rest of the day.

Now, what to fix for my main dish? I had some organic brown rice pasta and decided to make a pesto garnished with sun-dried tomatoes. These two dishes together made the most satisfying lunch! Not only was this a healthy meal, but it was incredibly affordable too. And took me minutes to make.

Try it out and let me know what you think by commenting below!

What creative ways do you cook your vegetables? I’d love to hear about your tasty treats as well!

Thank you for reading and come back next week for more tips on how to make tasty food that is healthy and affordable!

Much Love,

Alicia

Charred Broccoli Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole head of broccoli
• 3 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 2 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ lime
• Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.
3. Chop the broccoli head into small pieces of florets. Put into a bowl.
4. Toss the broccoli in the EVOO, garlic salt, and black pepper.
5. Lay the broccoli evenly on the pan.
6. Pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. **If you want it extra charred, leave in for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Take out and place onto your plate.
8. Squeeze ½ a lime on top of your broccoli.
9. Enjoy!

Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 8 oz. organic brown rice pasta
• 3 tbsp pesto
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Boil some water in a pot. Add a sprinkle of salt.
2. Pour in pasta and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Take out and drain.
4. Add to a bowl and toss in your pesto. Mix well.
5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes on top. Mix well.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Healthy Recipe: Turkey Dirty Rice

This weekend was incredibly gloomy for LA. Pouring down rain several days in a row got me missing the soul food I used to eat when I was living in Atlanta.  I always loved soul food because it was hearty, satisfying, and full of spices that tingled my palate. Memories of corn bread, fried okra, hush puppies, and dirty rice rushed into my mind causing my tummy to yearn for the taste of that delicious comfort food.  I sprinted to the store to recreate a soul food dish to soothe my soul as the rain kept on beating down around me.

I decided to make a satisfying turkey dirty rice! In the South, they tend to use chicken bits, livers, and gizzards, but I wanted more meat, so I opted for some ground turkey.

YES TO THE YING TIP: You can also use ground beef if you’re craving more sustenance! I always recommend getting organic grass-fed beef as those animals are not injected with hormones. Bonus– it tastes so much better! You can actually get a pound of organic ground beef at your local supermarket for only $7.99/lb. One pound of beef will make 4 servings of my dish. Affordable and healthy!

Add any extra veggies you’d like for flavor and crunch!

YES TO THE YING TIP: For a paleo version of this dish, skip the rice and spoon the meat and veggies on top of a salad or into romaine lettuce cups for a clean and powerful protein snack!

Please enjoy and let me know what other veggies you added by commenting below.

Stay warm and dry!

Much love,

Alicia

 

Turkey Dirty Rice Recipe

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic minced

1 small red onion chopped

1 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ red pepper chopped

½ yellow pepper chopped

2 cups broccoli chopped

1 package of rice (I use Trader Joe’s Organic brown rice)

Directions

1. Place some EVOO (extra virigin olive oil) in a large pot to cover the bottom of the pan and heat it up.
2. Add the onion and garlic to start caramelizing, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the ground turkey. Break it up into chunks so it cooks evenly. Allow it to brown for 1 minute.
4. Then add the spices and stir it into your turkey. Keep stirring every few minutes until the turkey has been almost cooked through, about 9 minutes.
5. Toss in your broccoli, red peppers, yellow peppers, and any other veggies. Mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. While your meat and veggies are cooking, pop your package of rice into the microwave for 3 minutes.
7. Once cooked, toss the rice into the pot and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Enjoy!

5 Best Thai Dishes

Do you love Thai food? I do! And not just because I’m half Thai! Not sure what to order? Here are the 5 best Thai dishes to try.

One of the best things about traveling to Thailand was the food. Food, glorious food!  So delicious, so cheap, and so flavorful! From street stands to fancy restaurants, I took much pleasure in dining on the finest and most authentic Thai food available at super cheap prices ($3 per meal). It was simply heaven!  Granted, each restaurant had a different quality, but these are the best Thai dishes I ate:

1. Pad Thai. Cliche perhaps, but a definite classic. Rice noodles with a peanut sauce, you can order this savory dish with either chicken, beef, or tofu.

2. Panang Curry. Desire decadence? This creamy red curry is a fan favorite all over Thailand. Made with creamy coconut milk, curry paste, and basil leaves, this dish will be begging you devour every last drop of sauce! Choose chicken, beef, or tofu in your curry.

3. Thai Chicken with Cashews. It’s as simple as the name sounds. And tastes even better! Chicken, cashews, and vegetables are stir fried together in fish sauce and soy sauce. Heap this fragrant dish over some rice and you are in cashew chicken heaven!

4. Beef Larb. Not as popular, but definitely one of the best. And my personal favorite! Ground beef is marinated in lots of lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, and chili paste. Cooked with a good helping of fresh onions, garlic, and mint leaves, this dish leaves your mouth watering for more. It is served in a bowl with romaine lettuce on the side. Place a heaping spoon of the larb into your lettuce cup, fold, and eat. For all you Paleo people out there: this one is for you!

5. Papaya Salad. Clean, bright, and refreshing, this salad is a must! Green papaya is shredded up and marinated in lime juice, fish sauce, chiles, mint, and cilantro. Sprinkled with finely chopped peanuts, this salad will cleanse your palate and fuel you with vitamin C, A, B, and strong antioxidants like lycopene!

 

What Thai dishes are your favorites? Leave comments below!

xoxo, A

Vegan Raspberry Ice Cream

 

 

Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Oh my god, do I love ice cream! I was craving some of that creamy cold goodness last night, so I opened my freezer to see what I could concoct.

To my joy, I found some frozen raspberries and frozen bananas (TIP: they keep in the freezer for up to 6 months!). I looked in my pantry and found some coconut cream. All the ingredients necessary to make a delicious vegan ice cream!

I threw the ingredients in my blender and about 1 minute later: VOILA! RASPBERRY ICE CREAM!

 

I did add one packet of Truvia to sweeten it, but damn– this came out so well! Rich, creamy, and full of flavor. I’m gonna have to make some more with some chocolate nibs blended in. It quenched my thirst for ice cream and was the easiest thing to make. Try and and let me know how it goes in the comment box below.

Happy and Healthy Eating!

xoxo

Alicia

 

 

VEGAN RASPBERRY ICE CREAM

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen raspberries

2-3 frozen ripe bananas

1/3 can coconut cream

1 packet Truvia (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all items in your blender and blend. Add coconut cream as needed to make into a creamy consistency.

2. Serve and enjoy!

Detox Green Soup

This weekend I ate my way through crazy amounts of chips, popcorn, and a pint of Haagan Das’s Caramel Cone ice cream. Mmm! Unfortunately, it caused me to break out like crazy! I needed to detox ASAP!

I searched online for a good detox green soup recipe to make so I could restore my balance in my body again.  My friend recommended Kirstie Allie’s Green Soup recipe. She had made it many times before and said that it was delicious and cleansing. I took a look at the ingredients and liked everything on it, so I decided to give it a shot! I added a few more ingredients that I knew had extra cleansing power (garlic and ginger), so I added those to the mix. I also halved the recipe because I didn’t have a pot big enough to fit all the ingredients in. It still produced enough soup for 7 days, so I have my halved recipe below.

The soup came out fragrant and delicious! Give it a try if you need to detox or if you are just wanting a healthy meal. The best part about this recipe is:

• it makes such a large batch, I have plenty of soup for the rest of the week! Definitely a time saver!
• I have a healthy meal already prepared in the fridge so I am not tempted to buy junk food
• the nutrients give me energy to get through the rest of the week and scrub out the crap in my tummy

Give it a try! I’ve added my tweaks to the recipe below. Enjoy!

xoxo A

 

DETOX GREEN SOUP RECIPE

(adapted from Kirstie Alley and Sean Prenter)

Ingredients

• 4 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 knubs ginger
• 4 leeks
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 big bunch asparagus
• 2 big bunches broccoli
• 1 big bunch spinach
• 2 32 oz. containers organic chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1.5 tbsp sea salt
• Black pepper for taste
• Cayenne pepper for taste (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare all the veggies. Peel and slice the shallots thinly. Peel and mince garlic. Peel and chop ginger. Cut the leeks just above the white part, peel the outer layer off and cut them open lengthwise. Rinse them out well, then chop into chunks. Cut hard ends off asparagus. Cut stems off broccoli.

2. Put EVOO in a large deep pot. Turn heat to medium-high. Put shallots into oil and sweat shallots. Make sure they don’t brown.

3. Add 1 tbsp sea salt, garlic, and ginger.

4. Add leeks and asparagus. Allow them all to sweat. If they get too dry, add a little bit of chicken/vegetable broth.

5. Once they are all sweated down and tender, break the broccoli into small chunks and put them in the pot. Cook for 2 minutes.

6. Then add 1 whole container of chicken/vegetable broth. Cook for 10 minutes.

7. Add 2nd container of chicken/vegetable broth, and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on the color. You want the broccoli to remain a bright green color.

8. Add spinach and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

9. Turn heat off and season with the rest of salt and pepper.

10. Transfer soup into blender in increments. Puree mixture.

11. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

Paleo Brownie in a Mug Recipe

Sometimes it’s late at night and I get a major craving for brownies. But I am too tired to make a whole batch. So I make one serving in a mug instead. Here’s my recipe:
PALEO BROWNIE IN A MUG RECIPE
Ingredients:

1/4 cup almond flour
1 beaten egg
A pinch of salt
2 Tbsp almond milk or whatever kind of milk you prefer
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Put almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt in mug.
2. Add in egg, almond milk, and honey.
3. Mix well and put in microwave for 2 minutes. If it is not done, put it in for another 30 seconds.
4. Grab a spoon and dig in!

3 Secrets to make the Best Brownies Ever

Baking brownies makes me feel sexy. Let’s face it: baking anything with chocolate makes me feel sexy. I’ve been making brownies for years, but this is BY FAR the BEST BROWNIES EVER. They are a COFFEE ESPRESSO BROWNIE that is GLUTEN-FREE and SUGAR-FREE! And yes, the taste is out of this world.
Not only am I going to post the recipe below, but I’m going to share my secrets with you too!

Mmm. Doesn’t that look delicious? Is your mouth watering yet?
Time for my secrets:
Secret #1. QUALITY IS KEY.
When choosing what type of chocolate to put into your brownies, regular grocery store brand chocolate just won’t do. In this case, higher quality chocolate is going to make your brownies taste richer, creamy, and have a deeper flavor. Try to choose an organic chocolate with at least 55% cocoa. The higher percentage of cocoa, the darker and richer the taste. You can get a 4 oz. bar from your favorite whole foods store.  I used a Mexican organic and fair trade chocolate a friend brought back for me from a cruise. It happened to have espresso already in it which packed an extra punch of coffee flavor. Use an espresso chocolate if you can find it. You won’t be disappointed!

Secret #2: EGGS MUST BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.  There’s a reason for this. Mixing cold eggs with your warm melted chocolate will cause your chocolate to harden and become a little grainy and lumpy (yuck). Eggs at room temperature will keep your batter silky smooth and glossy.

Secret #3: GROUND YOUR OWN ESPRESSO POWDER. No need to buy this from the store. Little secret: Espresso powder is just finely ground coffee beans! The reason why it makes a stronger coffee is because the coffee beans are ground more finely which allows water to extract more flavor from the beans. Who knew?! SO– just put half a handful of coffee beans into your coffee grinder and grind it until it is is super smooth. Voila! Espresso powder! You will never have to buy that expensive stuff again.

 

Coffee Espresso Brownie Recipe

*Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, PaleoINGREDIENTS
(makes one 8-inch square pan)

• 4 oz. dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid form
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or 1/2 cup of blue agave)
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons strong coffee, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 (F).
2. Line your 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate on medium heat and then cool.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 4 oz. dark chocolate, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and 3 eggs.
5. Sift 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder over the wet ingredients and whisk until evenly combined.
6. Add 2 tablespoons strong coffee and 1 tablespoon espresso powder. Whisk until combined.
7. Fill the pan with the brownie batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out completely clean.
8. Cool on cooling rack for 15 minutes.
9. Cut into squares and enjoy! Dust a little extra cocoa powder for a visually decadent finish.